Following a recent spate of construction projects, Signature Aviation has completed the renovation of its FBO at Hanscom Field Airport (KBED) in Bedford, Massachusetts.

In addition to 110,000 sq ft of heated hangars that can shelter ultra-long-range business jets and 31,000 sq ft of office space, the facility includes a new, airy 6,500-sq-ft passenger terminal. This represents an increase of 2,500 sq ft over the previous FBO terminal.

Since many private aviation passengers prefer ramp-side vehicle access, Signature established a one-way airside loop at the facility to simplify transit to the aircraft, adding additional signage and faster-responding gates to optimize the passenger drop-off and pickup processes.

“Hanscom Field is a familiar name for any aircraft operator that frequents Boston or broader New England, which makes it an indispensable part of Signature’s Northeast presence,” said company CEO Tony Lefebvre. “Our reimaging of Signature Bedford has really been about delivering the best experience to our customers, down to the smallest details.”

The new KBED terminal joins the chain’s newest facilities at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, and in the UK at Edinburgh and Birmingham airports. A new FBO is also set to debut shortly at Signature’s Key West International Airport location in South Florida.

A firefighting Sikorsky S-64 was descending when it collided with a firefighting Bell 407 last month near Cabazon, California. All three aboard the 407 were killed in the subsequent crash. The two aboard the S-64 were uninjured.

Both aircraft were under contract to Cal Fire and were part of an initial attack response to the Broadway Fire west of Palm Springs, California, just before dusk on August 6. A preliminary report from the NTSB found that the right main landing gear tire on the S-64 was damaged, with “an approximate 12-inch portion not located.”

Both aircraft had launched from nearby Hemet, California, 11 miles southwest of the fire, with the 407 taking off approximately three minutes ahead of the S-64. The helicopters took different routes around mountainous terrain to the fire. According to the NTSB, “ADS-B data showed both helicopters on a converging flight path, until the time of collision, located about 2 nm west of the Broadway Fire, at an altitude between 2,375 to 2,400 feet mean sea level (msl).”

The Board noted that a piece of delaminated main rotor blade marked the beginning of the 407’s debris path and that “the main rotor blades, mast, and transmission came to rest around 285 feet northwest of the main wreckage, upslope from the [initial impact point].”

Gulfstream Aerospace is making its Malaysian airshow debut this week at the Selangor Aviation Show 2023, where it will be displaying a super-midsize G280 and ultra-long-range G600. The three-day event opens Thursday at SkyPark Regional Aviation Centre in Selangor.

“Gulfstream is seeing increasing interest in our aircraft across Southeast Asia, and Malaysia is experiencing significant growth in business aviation,” said Gulfstream senior v-p of worldwide sales Scott Neal. He added that the G280 and G600 “are ideal for operators based in the region.”

Due to increased demand for Gulfstreams in Asia-Pacific, the company also recently added more authorized warranty facilities in the region. They include Mjets in Bangkok, Thailand; Deer Jet in Beijing; Business Aviation Asia in Shenzhen; and ExecuJet Haite Aviation Services China in Tianjin.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream has made the decision not to exhibit next month at NBAA-BACE 2023 in Las Vegas, saying it “consistently reviews and evaluates” marketing investments. “Gulfstream has successfully created private events and experiences that have exceeded our customers’ expectations while delivering on our business objectives,” it said. “We will continue to evaluate opportunities and invest in those that best support this mission.”

To encourage increased participation by maintenance providers and commercial operators, especially Part 135 and 91K certificate holders, in providing the FAA information on apparent regulatory violations under the agency’s several voluntary safety programs, the agency has issued Notice 8900.61 reemphasizing that no legal enforcement actions will be taken against participants.

Previously, accepted disclosures under the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) program that may have entailed a violation were also opened as an enforcement investigative report. Under new procedures, accepted reports submitted through ASAP will no longer be additionally documented as an enforcement investigative report.

“The primary purpose of voluntary safety programs is to identify and correct issues of noncompliance and/or safety,” said the notice. “The FAA’s policy of forgoing civil penalty actions when one of these entities detects violations, discloses the violations to the FAA, and takes prompt corrective action to ensure that the same or similar violations do not recur is designed to encourage compliance with FAA regulations, foster safe operating practices, and promote the development of effective internal evaluation programs.”

For example, the FAA reports that ASAP has more than 900 active memorandums of understanding across the nation “with activity and participation increasing almost daily. With more than 100,000 reports annually, it is a tremendous source of safety information and data.”

Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems parent company O2 Aero Acquisitions has acquired Hudson, Ohio-based Fluid Power, a manufacturer of oxygen systems and components for the aviation industry, O2 said today. The acquisition adds breadth to Aerox’s line of aviation oxygen systems for military and specialty applications and expands its global customer base.

“Our acquisition of Fluid Power will create a balanced military and civil aviation product portfolio and will provide greater manufacturing capacity and engineering expertise,” said O2 Aero managing director and Aerox president Scott Ashton. “Fluid Power has a 75-year legacy of servicing the aviation industry, providing sophisticated oxygen equipment as far back as the Korean War, and today provides many oxygen components for military applications.”

Fluid Power will continue to operate as an independent company within the O2 Aero Acquisitions portfolio and do business under the brand name Aerox Fluid Power. 

The acquisition of Fluid Power closed on August 31, marking the third transaction for O2 Aero Acquisitions following the 2020 purchase of Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems and the 2022 acquisition of Sky-Ox Aviation Oxygen.

Aerox’s product line includes OEM- and STC-installed oxygen systems, TSO-approved oxygen masks, PMA oxygen cylinders, and portable oxygen products. Its newest oxygen system—the Lighter than Air Walkaround Portable Oxygen kit—has won contracts for numerous airline cargo conversions.

The FAA has named agency veteran David Boulter as associate administrator for aviation safety. Boulter has held the role in an acting capacity since June 2022, when he filled the position that was vacated after Billy Nolen became acting FAA administrator.

As the head of aviation safety, Boulter steers an organization that is responsible for the safety standards involving all aspects of the aviation industry, encompasses 7,600 professionals, and has an annual budget of more than $1.8 billion.

Boulter has also held positions with Part 135 and 121 operators but has served with the FAA for more than 25 years, beginning as an aviation safety inspector in the Scottsdale, Arizona Flight Standards District Office.

Over his tenure with the agency, he has held numerous roles such as pilot, check airman, Part 119 manager, and senior FAA representative and foreign affairs specialist in Afghanistan. His responsibilities grew over time and before taking the acting associate administrator position, he had been executive director of the Flight Standards Service.

Bart Reijnen has been appointed president of Airbus Helicopters U.S. subsidiary Airbus Helicopters Inc. and head of its North American region. He succeeds Romain Trapp, who has held the position since 2019 and is now Airbus Helicopters' executive v-p for customer support and services and a member of the company’s executive committee.

Reijnen previously served as CEO of Satair, an Airbus Services company, since Nov. 1, 2016. In May 2021, he took on an additional role as head of material services in Airbus Customer Services, which included Airbus's flight-hour-services activities.

Prior to joining Satair, he led the on-orbit services and exploration activities within Airbus Defense and Space and was head of the Bremen, Germany site since 2013. Before that, he served as CEO of Dutch Space (now Airbus Defense and Space Netherlands). Reijnen holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

In his new position, Reijnen will be responsible for the activities of Airbus Helicopters in Canada and the U.S., overseeing more than 1,100 employees in the region.

John Balsiger, who was NBAA’s first regional representative in the U.S. Midwest, passed away on August 11 in Oklahoma City. He was 85 years old. Balsiger joined the association in 1999 as part of the original lineup of regional representatives, serving the industry in a nine-state territory that spanned from Oklahoma to Ohio.

He held that role for a decade, retiring in 2009. But his aviation career had spanned more than five decades, beginning in 1964 at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Missouri. There, he served as v-p of customer service. Balsiger later joined Mark Aero but ultimately moved to Midcoast Aviation, where he held multiple roles and spent the bulk of his career before he came on board with NBAA, the association noted.

“John took the meaning of the word ‘representative’ to heart, as both an effective listener and a tireless industry champion,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “He will be greatly missed by all those who were fortunate enough to work with him, and at this sad moment, our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Nola Beth, his family, and many friends.”

Upon retirement, Balsiger, who was a certified cowboy and Western memorabilia collector and trader, focused on his art gallery, Old West Collectables.